Faith Leaders in PH Join 3,000 Worldwide to Defend Religious Freedom, Due Process

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine pastors and other Christian delegates joined about 3,000 religious leaders worldwide in a global call to defend religious freedom, equality, human dignity and due process.

The Philippine gathering brought together 374 participants through onsite and online sessions held in three locations across the country recently.

The Philippine participation was part of the 1st Joint Assembly of World Pastors, organized by the Council for Christian Mutual Growth (CCMG), Korea Christian Leaders Training Institute (KCLTI), and Pastors Alliance for Life and Human Rights (PAFHLR). The global assembly was held in South Korea on August 13.

Under the theme “Defending Religious Freedom and Christian Innovation,” participants called for greater cooperation across denominational lines under the banner “One Body. One Voice. One Mission. Advancing Peace Through God’s Word.” Its three central calls were “Global Fellowship,” “Defend the Truth,” and “Innovate for the Kingdom.”

The global gathering drew about 3,000 religious leaders from Korea and other countries, excluding Philippine participants, with leaders from countries including Russia and Zambia. Organizers said the participation underscored that religious freedom and human dignity extend beyond any single denomination or nation.

A major focus was the situation in South Korea involving the detention and trial of a 95-year-old religious leader, Chairman Lee Man-hee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Participants stressed that judicial decisions must rest on law, evidence and due process, rather than public pressure or religious differences.

“Public opinion must never replace evidence, truth, and due process,” the joint declaration stated, warning that discrimination against one religious community can put everyone’s religious freedom at risk.

Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang (New Hope) Church of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, also questioned calls to dissolve religious corporations, asking whether a standard applied to one religious organization could eventually be used against another.

Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder and president of the Zambia-based Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism, said that acknowledging Chairman Lee Man-hee’s peace-building and interfaith activities through Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light does not mean exemption from the law, stressing that any judgment should be based on law and evidence alone, not disagreement with his religious beliefs.

Organizers also raised concerns over what they described as threats to religious freedom and the separation of church and state in South Korea, emphasizing that the issue should not be viewed as the concern of one denomination alone.

For Philippine participants, the assembly affirmed a shared responsibility among Christian leaders worldwide to protect religious freedom, human dignity and due process for all, while strengthening cooperation in advancing peace.